Container opening device



June 30, 1936. J, D, WEBBER 2,046,309

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE Filed June 22, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR John D. Wefibel ATTORN EYS June 30, 1936. J. D. WE BBER CONTAI NER OPENING DEVICE Filed June 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rlllllllilrl I INVENTOR 20 John H Webhi iy/amgwfi ATTORNEIYS i Patented June 30, 1936 2,046,309 CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE John D. l-Webber, Bayonne, N.-J.', ,assignor to- Cemco Engineering and Manufacturing. Cor-.-

poration, New York, N.

New York Y., a corporation of l Application June 22, 1933, Serial No. 67'h00l 5 Claims. (01. 221-23) This invention relates to container opening devices, and particularly to a device which is provided with a pair of spaced piercing knives and a locating rim to guide the knives into proper positions upon a container to be opened, a spout being preferably also provided so that the opening device may be used as a pouring funnel after a container has been opened preparatory to pouring out its contents.

The main object of my invention is to provide an opening device of the character indicated which is simple and reliable to use in opening metal or other containers of given sizes, in order to quickly render it possible to pour out the contents of such containers for use.

Another object is to provide such an opening device for containers with two spaced knives in order to simultaneously pierce two apertures in the top of a container, one resulting aperture being proportioned and intended for pouring the contents, while the other resulting aperture is proportioned and intended to serve as an air vent.

A further object is to provide the container opener with a rim which both guides the knives simultaneously into position upon the top of a container, and also serves as a protection for the knives by preventing accidental contact thereof with other objects than those intended.

A still further object is to have a pouring spout upon the opening device, so that the contents of an opened can may be poured into the device when the latter is in inverted position with the spout directed downward into a receiving vessel, etc., the present device then serving as a pouring funnel. 7

Yet another object is to render the opening device particularly comfortable to the hand so of the device, provided with at least one opening which in one position ,of the disk registers with the pouring opening or spout of said device while in all other positions, the disk obstructs said pouring opening andserves as a closure therefor.

It should be added that it is likewise an object to provide the present device with a removable spout, and then to have in the closure disk just previously referred to, not merely a single aperture to register in one position of the disk, with the spout oipeningjbut also a second aperture spaced from the first, which will're'gis'ter' with the spout in another position of said'disk and is of a sufficient size to allow ofwithdrawal andremoval of the'spout from within the device;

Other objects and the several advantages inherent in my invention and accruing from its use will appear more fully in detail as this specification proceeds. In the accompanyingdrawings forming part hereof .I.

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a containeropen-i ing device made according to one form of my invention and embodying some of the important features thereof. f e

" Fig. 2 is another view ofthe same device'as' seen from beneath the same. 3 r

Fig. 3 isa vertical transverse section of the device online III'III{of Fig. 1-.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of a modification of the's.pout.' I

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the-spout alone of Figs. 1,2 andf3."

; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

Figf'7 is a sectional view of an opening'dvice which is a modification of that illustrated in Fig. Land is both-"made according to the preferred form of the invention and embodies substantially all of the salient" features and advantages thereof. v w

Fig. 8 is another View of the deviceof Fig. "T as seen from beneath'thesame, Y

Fig. 9 is a section of the device of Fig. Land as indicated in broken lines, also of Fig. '7; when the device is in position upon a container after said device has been pressed down into operated position and the'knives have 'pierced thetop of the container, the'latter being also shown in fragmenta ry manner and merely indicated by dotted. lines} Fig. 10 showsa side elevation ofthe closure disk which forms an interior part of the device of Fig. '7 and carries the knives thereof. g I

Fig. 11 illustrates byway of perspective; one of the various ways 'in'which the present openingdevice may "be used after having piercedthe pouring and air vent/apertures "in a container; the device being here used as a funnel or the like:

Throughout the views, the same reference: numerals indicatethe same or corresponding; parts. v v f" It is a matter of common observation that' there is a growing tendency to market and dis pense in more ,orless standardized packages or containers all kinds of marketable products which said aperture with the bottom of the-spout, the

container top being correspondingly semicircular, square, oval"etc., but in any case, the aperture thus producedis intended to be slightly smaller in area than the cross section area ofthe opening H of spout 8 or opening l3 of the integral spout E2, in order to allow speedy draining of device l and prevent flooding thereof.

It is also possible to use the device as a closure for a container after having opened the same by piercingthe pouring and venting apertures, which feature is inherent in the preferred form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 onward. In this form of the device, the top portion 3 is first provided with an interior recess Hi about the aperture Iii in order to accommodate flange 9 of the spout 8. In other words, the flange of the spout is thus drawn upv into the interior general surfaceproflle of top portion 3 in order that said flange will not form an obstruction, as will immediately'be explained.

Within the device, a disk It which conforms with the concave inner face, or as it may also be termed, the dished pouring basin, of the top portion 3, is mounted in sliding contact with said concave inner face and retained in position by the pivot 15 which is rivetted to said top portion 3 and passes through the central aperture IQ of the disk. Hence, the disk is rotatable within the topportion of the device about the pivot, and remains continuously in full contact with the inner face of said top while clearing flange 9 of the spout, and thus itself virtually forms a pouring basin located upon the top portion 3 and solely connected thereto by means of the central rivet. In this disk, a pair of apertures Hand iii are formed in spaced positions, but with their centers equally distant from the central pivot [5, the distance corresponding with the center distance of, the aperture I 0 and spout 8 from the same pivot. The immediate result is that, by turning the disk 5 about its 'pivot, it is possible to register either aperture I! or [8 with the top aperture in, and of course, with the bottom of opening H in the spout.

In this form of the'invention, the knives 4 and 5 are not secured to the top 3 directly, but instead to the dished underside of the disk l6. These knives are preferably fastened rigidly by lugs such as 5, 6 in the case of knife 4, and. by lugs 1, I in thecase of knife 5 to the disk, which latter may thus be termed a knife disc. On the form of the invention shown in the first three figures, the knives are, of course, attached by their lugs directly to the top portion 3 of the device 5. But in either case the lugs may be brazed, soldered, riveted or welded to the part to which the knives are to be secured, or may be fastened in any other manner known to the art. Naturally the lugs may be omitted entirely and the knives directly welded by spot welding to said part intended to carry them, or be integral therewith.

Returning now to the preferred form illustrated in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, and partly shown in Fig. 10 the aperture I! in disk I6 is designed to correspond in size with the lower extremity of the Y spout opening H, while covering the flange 9 of said spout and thereby both retaining the spout positively in position, and also allowing any fluid poured into the device to immediately flow out through said aperture l1 and the spout. The other aperture I 8 is designed to be slightly greater than the outside diameter of the flange so that, when the disk is turned about its pivot to register latter-may be pushed inward through top portion3 in order to remove the spout, when it will be found to readily pass through aperture l8 insaid disk. 'Of course, when the spout is in position with the disk turned to a position in which neither aperture-registers with thespout opening, the disk serves as a closure for the spout. Under such circumstances, after having-poured only a portion of the contents from a container which has been pierced by the knives, as already described, it is only necessary to replace the device upon the container while reinserting the knives into their respective apertures, when the device withthe disk 16 closing the spout will form a closure or cover for the container and will prevent dust and dirt from entering and contaminating the contents. It may be noted that when thedevice thus forms a cover, while the knives remain in the container apertures,

it is possible to turn the disk to register aperture I l of the same with the spout opening by turning the outer portion of the device in one direction while turning the container in the opposite direction, or even holding it still, becausethe knives in this form are secured to the disk. and force it to turn or remain stationary with the container. If the container is then tilted with the device in position and the spout open, it is possible to drain the container by the spout without removing the device from said container. Other modes of using the device are also possible. ample, the spout may be removed and the device used by pouring fluid from a container into the same and allowing the fluid to flow out di-' rectly through aperture I0 in the case of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and outtthrough eitheraperture I! or lllfof the disk and also through aperture ID of the top portion 3 in the form of Figs. '7, 8 and 9.

The device may be made of any suitable material, as forexample, o-f bakelite, ebonite, metal sheet or castings, etc. Various modifications may be resorted to, and parts used without others. For example, instead of the interior disk I6, an outside sliding lid or a cover may be provided For ex for the device, covering the opening H1 in the top portion 3, and also closing the spout, if in-. verted. The purpose of such a cover would be to provide a solid or imperforate top for the device, which cover in addition may serve as an interchangeable fitting upon which advertisements and the like may be lithographed or otherwise applied while the cover is interchangeable independently of the device per se, the generally flat top thereof, however providing upon the cover an ample space for such advertising matter.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a container opening device adapted for use as a pouring funnel and having a pouring means to direct the flow of a liquid from said device, as well as a continuous peripheral guiding rim adapted to guide the device into proper position upon the container to be opened, means forming in combination with the exterior of said continuous guiding rim an eflicient exterior hand hold for said device, comprising a convexly arouate top portion integral with said guiding" rim, having the pouring means eccentrically disposed upon the same to provide clearance for the fingers and enhance the manual hold upon the device when using the same to open said container, and an interiorly arcuately concave disk pivoted to and corresponding in form with the 7 interior concave surface of the I exteriorly convex V top'portion of the device, serving ass support for at least one piercing knife iorcopening' the Q 1 container andby virtue of its concave shapei'orm- 7 ing in combination. with the continuous guiding" rim an efiicient pouring basin'oi' practical capacity, which ocncave disk'has an apertured portion and'is rotatable about "its pivotal mounting V v to bring said'apertured portion 'in one rotated positionint'o registerwiththe pouring meansand also further rotatable to close said pouring means tainer after the same has been opened in order to V cfo nn a closure cap thereon. V 15 t ing in combinationwith the 'exterior'o'f said cone and allow the device'to be replaced upon the eon- 2. In a containeropening device adapted for use as "a pouring'funnel and having a. pouring spout to direct the how of a liquid *nom said device'as well as a continuous peripheral guiding rim-adapted to guide the device into properposition upon the container to be opened,'-means formtinuous guiding'rim an efllcient exteriorhand Vh old for said device, comprising aconvexly arcuate top portion integral with said'continuous guiding rim, having the pouring' spout eccentrically disposed upon said top portion to provide clearance for the fingers and enhance-the manual hold upon the device when using the same to 'open said container, which top portion is interio-rly of an alienate-"concave form, and an 'in- ,teriorly rarcuately concave disk pivoted to'and' corresponding in form with the interior 7 concave jsurface of the exteriorly convex top portion of i 1 portion and is rotatable'to one position wherein; V V said apertured'portionfregisters with said spout the device, which concave disk, by virtueof" its concave shape, forms in combination with the continuous guiding rim, an eillcientand capacious pouring basin and both has an apertured and to other positions wherein said'disk forms a closure for said spout, and further forms a support for a pair of spaced, piercing knives fixed in opposite spaced positionsron the edgeportions 'of said disk within said'rimforpiercingthe top of the container when the device is appliedthereonj V V t r V 3. In a'container opening device adapted for use upon cylindrical containers and having acon- V freelyrotated.

4 7' jag-ti sue tinuous peripheral guiding "rim to {guide the device into proper-position upon the container to'be 'openedxmeans forming in "combination with the exterior of' said continuous rim an emcie'nt-exteriorhandfh'old. for said devi eo prising a. convexly arcuate top portionintegral with said continuous guidingiim. which topportion interiorly compfisesia' concavelyiarcuate means cooperating with the-guiding rim-to form an eificient pouring basin of practical capacity for 1'0 receiving" the liquid-poured into the device mm.

the conta'inen'there 'gbein'g cutting means spaced, 7

within said guiding riin'upon said concavely arcuate means for cuttmg intothetop oi the eon tainer-to open the same, *anda disc permanently'lfi retained withinsaid 'concavely' arcuate means and directly carrying said cutting means so'as to serve as a distinct mounting therefor in sa'id 7 device.

4. A container opening device vfor-use upon at:

substantially cylindrical container, compnsing'a 1 cup-likecover adapt'ed' to fit'snugly overthe conf tainer-tobe opened, arotatable disc secured upon '7 the :inside of said-cover and adaptedtobverlie said container when the-device is inj zo'i'isltion thereon, and a knife assembly mounted directly upon "said disc so that'whenthe knives are placed in position for'opening -the'container, simple'pres sure will'be eifectiveito -cause'saidknivesto punc ture said container and will allow'thejcoverftobe 3 5. A container opening fdevioe for use upon'one' end :of a metal container'or the like, comprising a covering top member having means uponthe properly located overwr andj'fitted upon-the conpiercing means are placed in position for opening the container, simple pressure will bejefiectlveto cause said piercing means to puncture-said'con V I tainer and allow the top member to becfreely rotated upon said disc. r 7 7 7 JOHN DVWEBBER- ri 7 hery thereof adapting saidgtop member to lie f V 

